Leadership of East Germany

The political leadership of East Germany was in the hands of several offices.

Leadership of East Germany
State Coat of arms
Last General Secretary Egon Krenz 18 October 1989 – 6 December 1989
Residence	Schönhausen Palace Majakowskiring Waldsiedlung
Formation	7 October 1949
First holder	Wilhelm Pieck Otto Grotewohl (first Party Chairmen) Wilhelm Pieck (first president) Otto Grotewohl (first prime minister)
Final holder	Egon Krenz (last General Secretary) Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (last head of state) Lothar de Maizière (last prime minister)
Abolished	6 December 1989 / 18 March 1990 (Communist rule ended) 3 October 1990 (German reunification)

Leaders of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany (SED)

Logo of the Socialist Unity Party of Germany

No.	Portrait	Name	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
Joint Chairmen of the Socialist Unity Party Vorsitzende der Sozialistischen Einheitspartei Deutschlands
.		Pieck, WilhelmWilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	22 April 1946	25 July 1950	4 years, 94 days	SED
.		Grotewohl, OttoOtto Grotewohl (1894–1964)	22 April 1946	25 July 1950	4 years, 94 days	SED
General Secretary of the Central Committee (First Secretary of the Central Committee 1953–1976) Generalsekretär/Erster Sekretär des Zentralkommitees
1		Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	25 July 1950	3 May 1971	20 years, 282 days	SED
2		Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	3 May 1971	18 October 1989	18 years, 168 days	SED
3		Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	49 days	SED
(Honorary) Chairman of the Central Committee Vorsitzender des Zentralkommitees
1		Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	3 May 1971	1 August 1973 †	2 years, 90 days	SED

On 1 December 1989, the People's Chamber removed the section of the East German Constitution granting the SED a monopoly of power—thus ending Communist rule in East Germany. Before the month was out, the SED transformed from a Leninist cadre party into a democratic socialist party, renaming itself first to Socialist Unity Party — Party of Democratic Socialism and later in the same year, to Party of Democratic Socialism (PDS). Hence, the party's subsequent leaders were no more leaders of East Germany than the leaders of other parties.

Heads of state

No.	Picture	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political Party
President of the Republic Präsident der Republik
		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) Acting President	7 October 1949	11 October 1949	LDPD
1		Wilhelm Pieck (1876–1960)	11 October 1949	7 September 1960	SED
		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969) Acting President	7 September 1960	12 September 1960	LDPD
Chairman of the State Council Vorsitzender des Staatsrats
1		Walter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	12 September 1960	1 August 1973	SED
		Friedrich Ebert Jr. (1894–1979) Acting Chairman	1 August 1973	3 October 1973	SED
2		Willi Stoph (1914–1999)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	SED
3		Erich Honecker (1912–1994)	29 October 1976	18 October 1989	SED
4		Egon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	SED
5		Manfred Gerlach (1928–2011)	6 December 1989	5 April 1990	LDPD
President of the People's Chamber of the GDR Präsident der Volkskammer
1		Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	CDU

Heads of government

No.	Picture	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political Party
Chairman of the Council of Ministers Vorsitzender des Ministerrats
1		Otto Grotewohl (1894–1964)	12 October 1949	21 September 1964	SED
2		Willi Stoph (1914–1999)	21 September 1964	3 October 1973	SED
3		Horst Sindermann (1915–1990)	3 October 1973	29 October 1976	SED
(2)		Willi Stoph (1914–1999)	29 October 1976	13 November 1989	SED
4		Hans Modrow (1928–2023)	13 November 1989	12 April 1990	SED / PDS
5		Lothar de Maizière (born 1940)	12 April 1990	2 October 1990	CDU

Heads of parliament

No.	Picture	Name (Birth–Death)	Took office	Left office	Political Party
President of the People's Chamber Präsident der Volkskammer
1		Johannes Dieckmann (1893–1969)	7 October 1949	22 February 1969	LDPD
2		Gerald Götting (1923–2015)	12 May 1969	29 October 1976	CDU
3		Horst Sindermann (1915–1990)	29 October 1976	13 November 1989	SED
4		Günther Maleuda (1931–2012)	13 November 1989	5 April 1990	DBD
5		Sabine Bergmann-Pohl (born 1946)	5 April 1990	2 October 1990	CDU

Heads of the military

Coat of arms of the National People's Army

No.	Portrait	Chairman of the National Defense Council Vorsitzender des Nationalen Verteidigungsrates	Took office	Left office	Time in office	Party
1		Ulbricht, WalterWalter Ulbricht (1893–1973)	10 February 1960	3 May 1971	11 years, 82 days	SED
2		Honecker, ErichErich Honecker (1912–1994)	3 May 1971	18 October 1989	18 years, 168 days	SED
3		Krenz, EgonEgon Krenz (born 1937)	18 October 1989	6 December 1989	49 days	SED

Other websites

• World Statesmen – East Germany